The invention relates to peritoneal dialysis (PD). In particular, it provides containers and methods for treating peritoneal dialysis solutions that reduce glucose degradation products (GDPs).
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a medical procedure for removing toxins from the blood that takes advantage of the semi-permeable membrane surrounding the walls of the abdomen or peritoneal cavity. During a PD procedure, a solution is introduced into the patient's abdomen, where it remains for up to several hours, removing blood toxins via osmotic transfer through that membrane. At completion of the procedure, the solution is drained from the body along with the toxins.
An active constituent of the PD solution is an osmotic agent, such as glucose, that creates an osmotic gradient across the peritoneal membrane, allowing exchange of toxins from the blood into the peritoneal cavity, as described above. Another constituent is an electrolyte composition, such as a mixture of sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, and so forth, which restores and maintains electrolyte balance in the blood. A final typical constituent is a buffering agent, such as lactate and pyruvate, which ensures that the blood pH remains at a physiological norms during the procedure.
A major problem with commercially available PD solutions is the presence of degradation products. These products, which typically arise during long-term storage or sterilization of the solutions, damage the peritoneal wall and can adversely affect proteins elsewhere in the patient's body.
Attempts to eliminate these degradation products have met some success. An example is the assignee's own U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,815, which utilizes a multi-chamber PVC or polyolefin bag to separate PD constituents during storage and sterilization. That notwithstanding, there remains a continuing need for improved containers and methods for treating PD solutions to reduce glucose degradation products (GDPs). That is among the objects of this invention.
Another object of the invention is to provide such containers and methods as can be fabricated at low cost.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such containers and methods as can be fabricated utilizing existing materials and fabrication techniques.
Still yet still another object of the invention is to provide such containers and methods as can be provided PD solutions of physiologically optimal concentrations and pH levels.